'The tape shows a breakout is coming' — Kansas City Chiefs' Jaden Hicks poised for big things during 2025 NFL season

Why Chiefs S Jaden Hicks is poised for a breakout year in 2025

Opportunity meeting production will likely be the biggest reason for a possible Jaden Hicks breakout year in 2025. Considering the numbers he put up after playing just a limited number of defensive snaps in 2024, he should theoretically be able to produce more with a more substantial number of snaps. Those snaps will be available because the Chiefs moved on from veteran S Justin Reid, and Hicks has flatout told reporters during OTAs that he's going to be stepping into that vacated role. That means his snap count should be closer to 100% than 30%. 

"He's also one of those players that just ended up being in that right situation, that Spagnuolo-seasoned athlete, that he can capitalize on the mismatches that they can create," DeLeone said of Hicks. "And I think the best part about this, when we watch some of the film, and we're going to get to the tape in a second, in a limited role, you saw a lot of what he's capable of becoming, and he also has some stats to prove it. He had, in 312 snaps last year, 24 tackles, three interceptions. He had 2.6 average yards of separation allowed in coverage situations, and then 2.3 yards after the catch allowed per reception that he gave up. So, not only was he a guy not allowing a lot of space, but he was also a player that was stopping players from creating after the catch."

Hicks played multiple roles for the Kansas City defense in 2024, not just the typical box safety role that he'd played in college. The Chiefs used him in two-high and single-high coverage looks. They got him on the field in big nickel and dime packages. Where his game can take the next step in 2025 is as a man-coverage defender. 

"I'm fascinated to see if they utilize this hip fluidity and the size that he has in some man coverage assignments," Roberts said. "Like, does he become a little bit of a tight end eraser, a big slot eraser? Lot of upside in his ability to not only just be a asset in the run game and in the box, but clearly he has a lot of upside in coverage as well."

With players like Brock Bowers and Evan Engram in the AFC West division, the Chiefs will need a man-coverage solution to regularly combat some of those players. Will Hicks be the player who earns those opportunities with the defense in 2025? In my humble opinion: Why not Hicks? He's proven to know how to be in the right place at the right time, contesting against bigger receivers at the catch point. It seems like a natural evolution in his game.